Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(2): 296-306, 2018 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2018.060212 Teacher Perspective on Internet Censorship in Turkey Sayim Aktay Faculty of Education, Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Turkey Copyright©2018 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract There has been a rapid increase both in the the Internet have continued to increase in number with the number of users and the number of websites providing data improvement of the Internet. Some 19.7 thousand domain since the invention of Internet; it has become the richest names existed on the Internet in 1995. As of October 2016, and most used source of information. However, several recent estimations by Netcraft have revealed that there are countries, including Turkey, resort to censorship owing to 1.82 billion registered domain names [42, 43]. The Internet the fact that anybody can publish on the Internet with also has an increasing number of user groups. Based on sometimes undesirable content. The main purpose of this data from Internetworldstats.com, in 1995 just 16 million study is to reveal how primary and secondary school people—or 0.4% of world’s population—had Internet teachers approach Internet censorship in Turkey. The study access. As of September 2017 that number has was conducted with a voluntary group of 2015 primary exponentially increased to 3.88 billion people—accounting (855) and secondary (1160) school teachers who had social for 51.7% of the world’s population [27, 28]. Examining media accounts in Turkey during the 2013 – 2014 Internet statistics, it can be observed that Internet use is on academic year in the spring semester. In the study, a survey the rise both in terms of numbers and active domain names. was used. The study reveals that 59.4% of teachers think Internet censorship has posed social problems in various that it is necessary to resort censor the Internet from countries due in part to there being such a large user of undesirable content like sexuality and gambling. On the numbers worldwide. Thus, several issues have arisen other hand, the vast majority of the teachers (86.6%) do not pertaining authorization and authority in terms of who approve the blocking of websites as they can be used as an controls the Internet and who decides which content is educational tool. Moreover, 60.5% believe that blocking of allowed [10]. When looking at how censorship is applied, certain Internet websites will not negatively affect one can observe the use of partial censorship such the education. blocking of social media content (i.e. a user’s Twitter feed) alongside the complete blocking of websites [58]. When Keywords Internet Censorship, Primary Education, looking at the world on whole, many countries such as Secondary Education China [60, 6], Pakistan [40, 39], Iran [7], and Syria [13] apply Internet censorship. When examining reports produced by OpenNet Initiative, the number of countries that censor the Internet can be said to be over 80 [44]. Internet censorship is sometimes used by countries as a 1. Introduction means of preventing the general public from learning about their leaders’ errors [1]. In addition, while the censorship 1.1. The Internet and Internet Censorship may sometimes be perceived in terms of suppressing ideas of certain individuals, groups and government officers The Internet, which was created in 1969 by the United imposing the phenomena considered to be true and lawful States Ministry of Defense with the intent of developing a by the state may also be thought of as a necessity in order to system able to operate even in case of emergencies like protect children and moral values and improve society [1, nuclear strikes, has turned into a vast information network 25]. As an example, in some U.S. states content filtering interconnecting countries and computers that enterprises exists on public computers used in Internet cafes, schools, and individuals use for data exchange [24]. The Internet and libraries [61]. In the context of Internet censorship, has been improved and renewed in terms of both methods such as Boarder Gateway Protocol tampering, infrastructure and features over the years, and has become DNS tampering, and Packet filtering can be used to restrict more accessible to an ever increasing number of people certain content [18, 36]. The use of various censorship thanks to increasing bandwidth and reduced price [56]. methods can be seen today in countries such as Pakistan, The websites broadcasting and providing information on China, Quatar and the United Arab Emirates [38, 45]. In Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(2): 296-306, 2018 297 addition to state institutions, certain companies also censor restricted by any governmental body. In one study put their Internet. In one Italian study done involving 3G and together involving a total of 7,357 people from Hong 4G networks, a range of censorship of between 32.5% and Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, 99.5% was found [4]. Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, it’s Today, when certain states and institutions apply believed that some 78% of users wanted freedom of Internet censorship, people either change how they act expression, and approximately 90% of users felt that online or they try one of any number of ways to bypass the freedom of expression is a basic human right. However, censorship. In one study done, it was observed that people over two out of every three users expressed that Internet who were confronted with censored Internet content were censorship, too, is necessary. A large proportion of users either able to shift towards an alternative source, search for were furthermore of the opinion that censorship needs to other related content or, upon giving up, shift to doing be applied in situations such as pornography, gambling, another activity else entirely [31]. In study done involving and violation of rights [55]. 51 Pakistani university students, the students were observed using VPS, web proxy, Tor, and various other 1.3. The Internet from the Perspective of Education means to bypass the censorship [2]. In yet another study done involving 770 individuals in Pakistan, some 57% of The Internet is a substantial information-sharing tool people were observed using VPN programs to get around that enables people to communicate with each other via the censorship [31]. It’s been demonstrated that those who such means as e-mail and instant messaging. Add to that, manage to bypass the censorship first express the most all types of transactions from banking to shopping can be interest in blocked social media content [29]. However, done via it [26]. Today, the Internet also provides according to a study done by Callanan & Jerman-Blazic educational benefits like access to educational information, [12] involving 664 participants from 10 Asian and African online expertise, lesson plans, and teacher forums [8]. The countries, 34% of users confronting blocked content Internet’s becoming one of today’s most important experienced security problems. educational tools means that integrating it into teaching has also reached become of importance. Libraries, 1.2. Internet Censorship Studies educators, and institutions thus are trying hooking schools up to the Internet, whereby school programs and In some countries, people’s reaction towards Internet textbooks too are even becoming digitized [52]. censorship in terms of opinion differs towards the country The Internet today has become a key well of [19]. For example, upon asking Americans’ opinions on information for especially families, students, and teachers Internet censorship, some have stated that online content [51]. It also has plays a positive role in students’, teachers’ must be censored in order to achieve children safety, a administrators’, and families’ lives [5]; thus entailing that civilized society, national security, and creativity. On the a great amount of money is being invested worldwide by other hand, others have suggested that people must be able families and schools into Internet-based technology such to share their ideas in order to express themselves online as computers [57]. It appears that the Internet. It appears even if their ideas are controversial [62]. Similarly, in a that for students, the Internet is believed to play an 2005 study put forth by Hostway involving 2500 people, integral role as part of a modern education [50]. it was determined that bloggers need to be prohibited from When it comes to researching information, the Internet sharing people’s addresses and personal information has changed how young students gain access to online [32]. information by means of offering a number of advantages. In a 1994 – 1996 study of more than 15,000 participants One study done involving young pupils had revealed [11], 36% of those participants stated that Internet some 97% of students had obtained information via the censorship is the most prominent issue concerning the Internet rather than using the library [41]. Children today Internet. In a 1998 American study of 4247 people [17], are able to use the internet in order to browse the web, do 47% of participants indicated that certain types of homework, play games, follow social media, blog, listen information must not be allowed on the Internet, while 44% to music, interact via webcam, and venture through objected to Internet censorship. In a 2007 Australian study cyberspace [54]. of 17.881 people [59], 74% of the participants objected to Moreover, of what is censored automatically, an even government-imposed content filtering systems. In a greater proportion of content wanting to be censored but 2001-person Chinese study [34], more than 80% of the that can be incorrectly censored is educational content.